Gasoline filter



y 7- I .E. F. WEBB 2,424,211

GASOLINE FILTER Fiied March 26, 1942 INVENTOR 2727mm 2. 14451% 0 BY flMXWG W.

ATTORNEY etented is. 15, i947 GASOLINE FILTER Application March 26, 1942, Serial No. 436,233

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved filtering and liquid separating system.

More. particularly the invention pertains to an improvement in a filtering system which is adapted for separating solid foreign particles as well as water from gasoline in a vehicle gasoline tank or other container.

' One of the main objects of the invention is the provision of a filter in a system of this kind of improved construction which has structural stress sustaining porous walls constituting the filtering elements thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a' system of this kind of a filtering element which has a mu'ltiplici ty of passages 50 predetermined in length and cross sectional dimensions with respect to the pressure differential on its respectively opposite sides as to separate liquid of one surface tension and viscosity, such as gasoline, from another liquid having different surface tension and viscosity characters, such as water.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of a gasoline filtering system embodying the invention for an internal combustion engine.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings is illustrated an embodiment of the invention in the gasoline fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine generally designated by the numera] Ill having an intake manifold H provided with an inlet 12 on which is mounted a carburetor I3. The carburetor 13 includes a chamber It of conventional construction to which liquid fuel, such as gasoline, is supplied by a conduit l5. The conduit [5 leads from a fuel pump I6, also of conventional construction, which is operated by a rotative part of the engine. The fuel enters the pump i6 through a conduit l1 which leads from the interior of a fuel tank l8.

Mounted on the inner extremity of the conduit differential corresponding to that conventionally produced by a vehicle engine fuel pump, the wall structures 20 and 2| are preferably formed by loosely depositing an even distribution of a mixture of powdered copper and powdered tin in the proportion of 90 parts by weight of copper and 10 parts by weight of tin. All of the powdered metal particles are of such dimension that they will pass through a 60-mesh screen and be collected upon a 80-mesh screen. The powdered metal mixture is then sintered in a non-oxidising or reducing atmosphere at a temperature of substantially 1650 F. while free from compression. The resulting porous metal structure. may be brought to from .025" to .05" in thickness. If desired, the powdered metal particles may comprise spherical bronze balls having the foregoing screen size. Such bronze balls,may be formed by atomizing bronze in a neutral or non-oxidising atmosphere and then separating from the resulting product by a screen portion spherical particles of bronze of the foregoing sizes.

The resulting porous metal sheet structure may be cut to a desired circular shaped blank and formed in a suitable die to the cross sectional shape illustrated in Fig. 2 in order to provide the porous walls 20 and 2|. Each of these wall structures has a main body portion of generally fragmentary spherica1 contour bounded by a relatively planular flange 22 which extends outwardly substantially radially with respect to the axis of the spherical configuration with which-the main body portion of the wall structure conforms. A reinforcing member 23, preferably comprising sheet ferrous metal, is disposed transversely of the space confined between the wall structures 20 and 2| with its marginaledge portions disposed between the flanges 22 and the walls 20 and 2| respectively. The reinforcing member 23 is provided with a central aperture 24 from the border of which extends upwardly a sleeve 25 also comprising sheet ferrous metal. The sleeve 25 may be formed integrally with or securely bonded to the main body portion of the intermediate reinforcing member 23. The upper extremity of the sleeve 25 abuts against the inner surface of a multiplicity of passages of minute dimensions.

The longitudinal dimensions of these passages is predetermined by the thickness of the wall structures 20 and 2!, while the cross sectional dimensions are predetermined by the sizes and kinds of powdered metal particles employed in the fabrication of such wall structures. For the purpose of filtering gasoline and separating'it from water during the existence of a pressure the porous wall structure 20 around the edges of an aperture 26 formed in the latter wall structure for the reception of the lower end portion 21 of the conduit II. A bead 28 is formed outwardly from the wall of the conduit I! to limit inward insertion of the lower end portion 21 thereof with respect to the filtering unit. A flange 29 extending outwardly at the extremity of the conduit I1 abuts against the reinforcing member 23 so as to securely clampingly attach the filtering unit to the lower end portion of the conduitll without relying on the porous wall structure of thelatter to sustain'a significant attaching stress or strain. The superimposed adjacent edge portions 22 and registering edge portions of the reinforcing member 23 are clampingly secured together by a band 30 having opposed flanges 32 clampingly receiving the above mentioned edge portions.

In the operation of a filtering unit of the foregoing construction in a gasoline supply system of the above character, a pressure differential of substantially .2" of mercury is created by the fuel pump [6, so long as gasoline is being poured through the filter, tending to transfer gasoline from one side of the filter wall to th other. All the fuel thus supplied to the carburetor is drawn through the porous wall structures 20 and 2| in order to remove any impurities with which the gasoline in the tank may have become contaminated.

In the event, as illustrated in Fig. '2, a substantial depth of water has accumulated in the bottom of the tank It! sufllcient in quantity to engage the porous wall structure of the filter I unit, no water will be drawn through the porous structure so long as the capillary-like passages of the porous wall structure are suitably predetermined in length and cross sectional dimensions with respect to the pressure differential on the interior and exterior of the side wall structure to set up a selective action between liquids having the radically different surface -tensions.and viscosities of gasoline and water.

with a filter constructed as above described and under the pressure differential created by a conventional vehicle engine .fuel pump, so long as a substantial area of the porous wall structure is in contact with gasoline, nowater will be drawn through the remaining portion of the porous wall structure with which the layer of water contacts.

Obviously, the pores of the porous wall struc-' ture as well as the pressure differential on respectively'opposite sides thereof may be so predetermined with respect to other combinations of liquids having different viscosity and surface tension characteristics as to perform this same function. Porous metal wall structures formed of a sintered mass of powdered metal is particularly advantageous in filters of this kind for the reason that the lengths of the passages may be readily predetermined by the thickness of the mass of sintered powdered metal and the cross sectional dimensions of the passages may be readily predetermined by controlling the size of the powdered metal. The lengths of the passages are not necessarily equal to the thickness of the material, for the porous metal structure made in the manner-above set forth is of a,

, size. to effect a separation of gasoline from water under the pressure diflerentlal present in conventional vehicle engine fuel systems, the powdered metal particles may, for some installations, be advantageously compressed together prior to the sintering. operation and sintered while held under a selected degree of compression.

Although but one specific embodiment of the invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in the size.

4 shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A filter unit comprising a pair of generally disc shaped porous sheet-like walls having facing internal concaved sides and opposed external convexed sides, an intermediate reinforcing member extending across the space confined within said walls and comprising a perforated disc element having edge portions disposed between and adjacent the corresponding edge portions of said porous walls and having its main body portion spaced from said porous walls, a band surrounding and clampingly fixing together said edge portions of said porous walls and reinforcing member for cooperating with the latter to retain said porous walls against variation in curvature without obstructing the pores of the main body portions thereof, and an outlet tube leading from the interior of said unit having an open end within the latter attached to said reinforcing member.

2. A filter unit comprising a sheet metal reinforcing member having a substantially planular perforated disc Shaped body portion, a pair of porous wall members each comprising a fragmentary spherical sheet-like mass of sintered powdered metal disposed on opposite sides of said reinforcing member with their edge portions adjacent the opposite surfaces of edge portions of said reinforcing member respectively and their main body portions spaced from the main body portion of said reinforcing member, means securing said edge portions of said members together for cooperating with said reinforcing member to retain said wall members a ainst deformation from spherical contour without obstructing a significant area of the main body portions thereof, and an outlet tube leading from the interior of said unit through one of said wall members.

reinforcing member having a perforated disc shaped body portion, a pair of porous wall members each comprising a fragmentary spherical sheet-like mass of sintered powdered metal disposed on opposite sides of said reinforcin member with their edge portions adjacent the opposite surfaces of edge portions of said reinforcing member respectively and their body portions spaced from the main body portion of said reinforcing member, means securing said edge portions of said members together, said sheet metal reinforcing member having an aperture therein and including a tubular member having a passage registering at one end with said aperture and at its opposite end with an aperture in one of said porous walls, and an outlet tube communicating with and leading from said tubular member for conveying fluid from the interior of said unit.

4. A fllter unit comprising a sheet metal reinforcing member having a perforated disc shaped body portion, a pair of porous wall members each comprising a fragmentary spherical sheet-like mass of sintered powdered meta1 disposed on opposite sides of said reinforcing member with their edge portions adjacent the opposite surfaces of edge portions of said reinforcing member respectively and their main body portions spaced from the main body portion of said reinforcing member, means securing said edge portions of said sheet metal reintherein including a tubular member having a passage registering at one end with said aperture and at its opposite end with an aperture in one of said porous walls, and an outlet tube extending through said tubular element having a flange on its extremity adjacent said reinforcing member and having a- :protruding portion external of said unit adjacent said latter porous wall.

EDMOND F. WEBB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Davis Nov. 5, 1949 Number Number Number Hensley May 18, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Jan. 13, 1921 

